Fatal Attractions
by Wemmabby
Summary: Byron Montgomery is in love with Ashley Marin...there's only one problem. He's been hiding something deadly that will result in the death of his lover, making him a target of Wilden's evil murder scheme.
1. Fatal Attractions

**FATAL ATTRACTIONS:**

It was just a normal day in Rosewood, filled with normality. Ashley Marin was on Facebook, stalking the one and only Byron Montgomery. She would stare at his profile picture for hours and hours, taking in his beautiful features. His cheekbones were very precise, and his glowing skin showed off his gleaming blue eyes. But she knew that wasn't his true form. His real image was much more...sexy with the scales.

She couldn't help but stare at his sensationally juicy "abs," which in reality was endless rolls of flab. Smiling malevolently, she clicked on the thumbs up, still in her flashback of "Mr. Hunky."

_The time is midnight, the witching hour. _

_Byron lay on the empery colored grand piano, in a male thong and a matching bow tie. His flab seemed to be shimmering in the moonlight, looking beautiful and majestic, almost like Edward Cullen. Only more sexy. Ashley entered the room, wearing a blood red Victoria's Secret bathrobe, with nothing underneath. _

_"Hello, Byron." She whispered through her matching scarlet lips. "We meet again." Byron slid off the piano, slithering over to her, petting her, like a wild animal._

_"It's been too long, Ashley." He agreed, his eyes flickering like flames. _

_"I know your secret," Ashley growled, standing on her tip toes to lick his cheek. _  
_His eyes narrowed in disbelief and humiliation. "Aren't you afraid of me? I've been in the shadows for far too long. You never came back after that, after that dreadful night."_

_"It's too hard to stay away," she said seductively. "I don't care what you are, Byron. If it's meant to be, it shall be."_

_"Indeed, it shall." He hissed with a fiery passion. "But first I need to know that you will accept me- no matter what I am." Ashley growled with longing. She made a cat's claw with her hand and said, "Rawr! I'm half cat."_

_"Here kitty, kitty. I'm half dog, half wolf, half fish and half chicken." Ashley gave him a weary look, her icy blue eyes wide with shock and honest betrayal. _

_"I thought that you were just half dog! Ugh, bitch, this will like nev-ah work out. I'm allergic to fish."_

_"The doctors may find a cure for fish Herpes soon, Ash. But for now, I'm afraid that we'll have to go our separate ways." _  
_Ashley whipped her hair back and forth. _

_"I whip my hair back and forth, bitch."_

She closed her eyes, as the flashback ended, whipping her hair back and forth as she did so. "I whip my hair back and forth, bitch."  
Two days later, Officer Wilden found Ashley's dead body resting at the bottom of the stairs. Her eyes were wide open with satisfied lust. She was also naked.  
Some say that she was pushed.  
Some say that she tripped.  
But some say that she had an allergy attack.

FIN.

A/N: Fish.


	2. Instant Attractions

**INSTANT ATTRACTIONS:**

Ashley Marin's death has been all anyone's talked about for months. The cause of death still remains a mystery.

Several years pass by, yet Wilden hasn't given up on Ashley's case yet. He loves her, or at least he used to. They dated briefly, much to Byron's dismay. Wilden remembers when they were once in a heated argument:

_"You leave my woman alone, understand?" Wilden yelled. It was a cool summer night, and they were in Wilden's apartment. "Or I'll have to cut a bitch."_

"Darren, you heartless imbecile. You'll never get away with it."

"Watch me. You'll be dead so fast, Byron," Wilden threatened. Byron put his head in his hands and dropped helplessly to the ground.

"Y-You don't understand, Darren. I love Ashley with everything I am, and everything I'll ever be." Tears streamed down Byron's neatly groomed face. "And we'll never give up on each other. There's nothing you can do that will change that." Wilden laughed wickedly.

"Ashley is obviously over you. She's moved on." Wilden placed his hands on his hips. "It's just too bad that you're not enough of a man to do the same."

"You're pathetic, Darren. Why would she ever want you?"

"Oh, I don't know..." Wilden rolled up his sleeve and began flexing. Byron rolled his eyes.

"It's what's on the inside that counts," Byron said, shaking his head.

"If you're going to feed me shit, then you might as well get a dog," Wilden told him.

"That doesn't even make sense!"

"Sure it does. Ashley would understand..."

"THAT'S IT!" Byron got up, and pinned Wilden up against the cold brick wall. "I CAN TELL THAT YOU DON'T LOVE ASHLEY. YOU'RE ONLY IN IT FOR THE SEX, AREN'T YOU?!" Byron slapped him across the face.

"That's part of it," Wilden whimpered, barely able to remain conscious. Byron punched him in the stomach.

"Stay away from her, Darren," Byron whispered through clenched teeth. "Got it?" Wilden nodded miserably. Hesitantly, Byron let go and Wilden collapsed, panting. Byron grabbed his jacket and promptly left the apartment.  
  
Wilden sighs to himself, and pushes his seemingly endless stack paperwork to the side. He's so exhausted, and all he's wanted to do for the past three years was to quit looking for whatever killed Ashley Marin. But then he remembers, that he's doing it for her, and he keeps going, holding his head up high.

Ever since Wilden first laid his eyes on the beautiful Ashley Marin, he knew that he was in love with her. He absolutely loved the way her ruby-colored hair cascaded down her back in wavy tassels. He always stared into her heavenly, azure eyes, wondering if she could get any more beautiful. He wanted to be with her, forever and always, never to part. But then there was her ex-boyfriend, Byron Montgomery. Such an arrogant man... _So jealous._ He wanted Ashley for himself, but Wilden vowed to make sure that that would never happen.

Darren Wilden would do _anything _to get rid of Byron Montgomery.


	3. Secretive Attractions

**SECRETIVE ATTRACTIONS:**

Alone, Byron Montgomery lay in his bed, thinking. He wonders if Ashley would still be here if he had just told her the truth from the beginning. The truth about what he really was. Now she was gone, and it was all his fault. She probably could've gotten medication for her allergies. Maybe then, they would've been okay.

Byron's mind flashes back to the day that he fell in love with her.

_"Our power's been out, and I just really need to send in Mike's permission slip," he practically begged. She just laughed at him._

"You go right ahead," Ashley told him. He muttered a "thank you" and she just smiled, going into the kitchen to make them some tea. From the kitchen, she glanced over at Byron, who was fidgeting with her computer. She thought that he was so cute when he was focusing on something. Ashley mentally slapped herself in the face. 'What are you thinking?' she thought to herself. 'Byron's a married man. You shouldn't think that a married man is cute.' Ashley bit her lip. She'd be lying to herself if she said she didn't think he was attractive. The way he beamed at her. The way he actually listened to her, unlike her last husband. Byron was truly a great man. Ashley realized that Ella was extremely lucky to have him.

She was so caught up in her thoughts, she didn't realize it when the tea pot started whistling.

"Ashley, shouldn't you get that?" Byron said, raising his eyebrows at her. At the sound of his voice, Ashley jumped, and her entire face turned red.

"Oh, uhmmm..." Ashley locked eyes with him for a moment, before averting them to the floor. 'Stop. Thinking. About. How. Handsome. He. Is.' Ashley spun around and turned off the tea kettle, gulping loudly.

"Ash, are you okay?" Byron asked her, walking up behind her and placing his hand on her shoulder lightly. Ashley jumped, and turned around to face him. She looked at the ground and shook her head violently.

"Byron, I am, so sorry..." she apoligized. She wiped her face with her sleeve. 'Oh, shit. Am I crying?'

"Ashley..." Byron furrowed his brows. "Ash, it's fine..."

"No, it's not. I'm sorry, Byron." Ashley pursed her lips, wrapping her arms around herself tightly. "I think you should go." A few awkward seconds passed by, and Byron kissed the top of her head, taking in the delightful scent of her hair. It really was nice. He tried to give Ashley a quick hug, but she pushed him away, beginning to shake her head again.

"This is so wrong," she reckoned. "You're married, Byron. You have two beautiful children that love you very much..." she looked into his eyes. "We just can't do this. You have your family and I have mine, and that's how it's going to stay." Byron looked at her wearily. Ashley shook her head. "You shouldn't want me anyway, Byron. I'm just a poor old hag with a shitty job at the bank. I had to steal money from an old woman, for Christ's sake! You...you're successful, Byron. You and your wife, both teachers...that must be nice."

"Ashley, if anything, you shouldn't want ME," Byron retorted. "I've cheated on my wife, my kids hate me...I'm just not who who you think I am."

"Well, is there something else that I should know?" said Ashley, glaring at him. Byron tensed. He thought about his true form, one that not even his own mother would accept. He hadn't told Ella, or Aria, or Mike...ultimately, no one knew about it. So why should he tell Ashley? They weren't close by any means. and they never really had a conversation until today.

"Well?" Ashley asked again, quickly becoming impatient with him. Byron opened his mouth, as if to say something, but nothing came out. Instead, he was caught up in Ashley's gorgeous smile. Her lips were a bright crimson, and they were coated with a clear gloss. Byron felt like they were just begging to be kissed. Byron took a step forward, and slid his hand into her hair. He whispered, "Ashley Marin...I think I'm in love with you." He leaned forward and osculated her, indulging in her sweet aroma. To his surprise, she kissed him back, wrapping her arms around his waist. They pulled away, both of them lost in each other.

"So, you wanted to tell me that you're a good kisser then?" Ashley teased, giving him a peck on the forehead.

"No..." said Byron, not finding her joke very funny.

"Oh, come on, don't get down on youself, Byron." Ashley kissed his cheek.

"I'm half dog, Ashley," he admitted. Ashley snickered.

"Seriously, Byron."

"When I was a little kid, I was forced to go to bed really early every night. My mother was very strict." Byron started tearing up a bit. "So, when I moved out, I stayed up until the mere hours of the night. Sometimes I wouldn't sleep at all. It was my own little rebellion, y'know? I was actually enjoying myself for a while. Until one night. There was a full moon, and when the clock struck midnight..." Byron felt hot tears streaming down his face. "I reached to scratch my cheek, and there was a tuft of...fur...there...I-I'm sorry, Ashley...th-this is so embarrassing..."

"Byron." Ashley took his hands in hers. "It's completely okay. I understand." Byron, overjoyed, pulled Ashley into his arms and tenderly embraced her.

"Ashley, thank you so much..." he cried, shutting his eyes. "Ella would never accept me. She's so hung up on looks, you know?" Ashley rubbed his back.

"I'm so sorry for what you've been through," she said.

"No, don't be. It's definitely not your fault." Byron nuzzled his face into the crook of her neck. "Thank you, Ashley. For being so content to accept me."

"It's my pleasure," she said, hugging him more tightly. Suddenly, the two saw a girl come in through the front door. Her jaw dropped.

"Um, Mom?" she asked. Ashley stared at her daughter.

"Hanna!" she blurted out. She instantly backed away from Byron, sweeping off her pants awkwardly. Byron cleared his throat.

"Hello, ," said Hanna, awkwardly placing her bag down on the stairs.

"Hanna...I thought you didn't get home until five?" Ashley questioned her daughter.

"Well, yearbook got canceled." Hanna frowned. "It seems like you had some fun while I was gone."

"We were just-"

"Hugging," said Byron, finishing her sentence. Hanna sighed. "Hugging? Really, Mom?"

"Byron, um, I think that you should go," Ashley whispered. He smirked at her before exiting through the front door.  
  
Byron only told Ashley about the canine part of him that day. She didn't find out about the rest of his secret until that night with the piano, and the male thong. Byron slaps himself across the face. _If it was for her well-being, why didn't you tell her in the first place? Are you really selfish enough to let the woman you love die?_ This time Byron punched himself. _You're selfish, Byron. Ashley had no reason to love you. Oh, but for Darren Wilden...she didn't have one short of a thousand.  
_  
Byron hops out of bed, and races into the bathroom, locking himself in. Without a second thought he looks around._ Something sharp, something sharp... _He sees his razor sitting idly on the windowsill, and proceeds to grab it, holding it above his wrist. _Do it, Byron. _Byron makes a slice in his left wrist. Keep going. He cuts himself again, and again, until his wrist is completely bloody. He moans out in pain, but he keeps going. _That's it. Indulge in the pain. Let yourself feel the same pain that Ashley felt. _He's barely able to move his left hand, but he picks up the razor, and moves on to his right wrist.

The pain never stops.

**A/N: Thank you so much for reading. Reviews are greatly appreciated. :)**


	4. Hostile Attractions

**HOSTILE ATTRACTIONS**:

Wilden opens his closet that he's filled up with sharp objects in his spare time. He tosses a combat knife and a bayonet to the side before pulling out his machete. The handle is encrusted with pure gold, and the blade is sharp as the morning air on a crisp afternoon. Wilden smirks. He thinks about Byron Montgomery burning in the depths of Hell, this encouraging Wilden to proceed with the mission.

If I haven't already made it obvious, Wilden is going to kill Byron Montgomery.

But he's not alone, of course.

He's gathered a team of the slyest criminals across the nation. First, Pam Fields, a deceiving woman who wears a red cape, and who is a succeeded black belt in karate. Next, we have Melissa Hastings, the bipolar, clinically insane nut case with a passion for shooting birds in the forest when she's by herself. She's a good shot, which could be useful. And finally, Meredith Sorenson, who has the mental capacity of a rock, and apparently thinks that Wilden is "kind of that sort of adorable that you only find in pet shops". With the three of them, Wilden's sure that the mission will be a success.

The time is three am, the morning of June eighth. Wilden paces around in the deserted woods, waiting for his allies to show up. First, is Melissa, who starts sobbing the moment Wilden greets her. Pam shows up next, her dark hair showing off her blood-shot eyes. Wilden looks around for his third ally, that blond bimbo Meredith. _She must've ditched us..._ Strange. Meredith doesn't have anything else to do...or does she?

Pam attempts to shake Melissa's hand, but it's no use. Melissa shoves her into a tree, before jabbing her with a stick.

"Ladies, ladies!" Wilden orders. "Calm down already!" Pam throws a heavy punch at Melissa, but misses due to the younger girl's ability to crouch. Melissa bites into Pam's ankle skin with her razor-sharp teeth, ripping her raw flesh from her brittle bones. Melissa swallows some of the woman's blood, before going back in for more.

"STOP THAT!" yells Wilden, but it's too late. The frenemies are going at it, pushing and shoving each other, throwing punches here and there and _everywhere._ Darren Wilden, being the trained police officer that he is, has absolutely no idea what to do with the situation except clap his hands. He had once sat in on his sister's kindergarden class, and she always used to slap her hands together to get the kids to calm down, so why wouldn't it work with Pam and Melissa? He figures it's worth a shot. Wilden claps once more, but they just won't stop. He finally decides that he simply can't take it anymore. He pulls out his gun and shoots it at the sky about ten dozen times.

"It's raining bullets! Duck and cover, bitches!" Wilden crawls into a log for protection, watching the bullets make their way down into Melissa's spine. She starts to cry blood, and completely melts into a pile of leaves. Pam cries tears of joy. Wilden comes out of the log, and Pam jumps into his arms for protection. She kisses his cheek in a motherly sort of way. No, more like a, "Thank you for murdering that crazy bitch" sort of way.

"Darren Wilden, I have to say, I have never felt safer," she says. Wilden smiles awkwardly, intertwining his fingers with hers.

"Come on, Pam. We have some crazy murdering to do."

xxx

Byron Montgomery is submerged in his bathtub at four am, for obvious reasons. This is about the time that he transforms into... a fish. And if he doesn't get to water, he'll soon die of suffocation.

His eyes move to his wrists, which hurt like _hell._ It's ridiculous. He scolds himself for listening to the voices in his head. He is so angry. No, he's completely _disgusted_ with himself. He feels so _stupid_ for listening to Darren Wilden, aka, the most conceited human being he'd even met. Wilden isn't worth anything, not one cut, not one negative thought. He doesn't deserve to live. He doesn't deserve Ashley's love, not one kiss, not one touch, _nothing._ Now, if only Byron could just say that to his face. It would make him feel so much better. You know what, that's it. First thing tomorrow morning, he's going to stomp on over to to Darren Wilden's apartment and give him a piece of his mind. He'll pour hot coffee down his shirt. He'll choke the guy with his own two hands. He'll chase that man all the way out of Rosewood... _No, you won't, you insecure coward. You're just a scared little mommy's boy who's too self-conscience to step a foot out of your own front door. You turn into an animal at night. How embarrassing! You sprout a fucking tail, Byron._ He slams his head against the marble of the bathtub. "Go away!" he screams, shutting his eyes in desperate attempts to forget everything.

_Ashley doesn't accept you. She never did. Ashley was a cold-hearted, controlling liar who was incapable of loving you. The guilt was too much for her. At least when she was with Darren, she could actually enjoy herself. She could smile, and laugh, without having to feel sinful and sheepish. But every time you two went out, well...all Ashley was thinking about was Darren._ Byron starts pounding on the wall with his fist. _Every time you touched her..._ He kicks the faucet aggressively, causing him to slice his foot open. _Every time you...osculated her..._ Byron picks up Aria's feminine shampoo and lathers his legs with it, trying to relax. _Just try and relax, troutface. Now you can, since you don't have to deal with Ashley's constant nagging anymore._ "Go away," he whispers, lowering himself further into the water. A small fin appears on his side, and shiny, transparent scales begin forming up his arms. This process is usually painful, so Byron tries to stay as still as possible. He swallows a lump in his throat as more and more scales begin to resurface. Byron sits up, and a dorsal fin begins to sprout along his spine. His legs mold together to create a single tail fin, almost like he's a mermaid. Byron turns on the faucet again to add more water. The thoughts come rushing back. _Can't you see the headline already, Byron? "Byron Montgomery: Sharpie, Fraud, Fish"?_ He begins to cry loudly. "What do you want from me?!" he yells, balling his fists. Suddenly, he hears a knock on the bathroom door.

"Aria, um, honey, I'm just-"

"You in there, Byron?" asks non other than Darren Wilden- the man behind every ounce of Byron's pain. He shivers with remorse. His mouth opens, but nothing comes out.

"That's what I thought," Wilden says, heaving a sigh. "Look, Byron. I don't have much time. But we're coming in there. Now, we can do this the easy way, or we can do this the hard way." Byron gulped. "Essentially, the choice is yours." Byron is tempted to just hop out of the water right now and just call it quits...but then he remembers why he's still here. _Ashley Marin._

"We'll do this the hard way," he snaps, crossing his arms like a sassy teenage girl. He can almost hear Wilden grinning.

"Alright, pops," says Wilden, jabbing the door's lock with his knife. He picks it, and he and Pam walk into the bathroom. The look of shock on his face is priceless.

"Y-You're...YOU'RE A _FISH!_" Wilden screeches, shaking his head. "No, no...this can't be true..." Pam puts an arm around him for support.

"Yes, I'm a fucking fish. Leave me alone, or I'll-"

"B-But Ashley's autopsy showed signs of Fish Herpes! And that can only mean one thing..." Wilden's eyes turn red. "Y-You killed her! _IT WAS YOU_! _YOU_ AND YOUR DREADED FISH HERPES!" Wilden ran up to Byron, stabbing him multiple times in his tail fin. Byron let out a suppressed scream. _Succumb to the pressure, Byron. Expose Darren Wilden for what he really is._ Byron notices a small mirror sitting on the windowsill, but there's no way he can reach it. He thinks about how he'll smash the glass and impale Wilden with it, but he knows that it's only a fantasy._ So... little... time..._

"You like that, Byron?! Huh? YOU FUCKING LIKE THAT!?" roars Wilden. Pam latches herself onto this mess of a man, and shoves him into the hallway for a moment. She tells him how he's become too wild, and forces him to sit down for a few minutes to just unwind, in whatever way you do that in the middle of an intense murder mission. She walks back into the bathroom.

"Pam Fields, ey?" Byron chokes. Pam takes a step forward. "Didn't think you'd ever be in on something like this."

"I'm doing it for Ashley," she responds, running her fingers through her hair. "She was a good friend of mine. I'm assuming that you two were even closer."

"W-We slept together. That was it," Byron confesses. _May as well tell her all of your secrets, you're dying anyway._

"Sounds superior," says Pam, biting down on her lip. She smiles wistfully. "I wish that I could have an affair. But, unfortunately, I'd never get away with it. I'd just end up here. Like you." Byron just nods silently to himself.

"Y'know, they say that before you die, your entire life flashes before your eyes," Byron says. "So when you stab me to death, I'll have the pleasure of remembering all the things I did wrong as a father...as a _man_." Byron looks down at the wound in his fin, which is gushing blood.

"You should put pressure on that," Pam reckons.

"What's the use if you're going to kill me anyway?"

"Oh, _I'm_ not going to kill you, Byron. I'm pretty sure that Darren would like to take care of that himself."

"Right." There's a long pause.

"So, how does it feel to have scales? A-And fins!"

"I absolutely hate it. I hate every single thing about who I am. And so does everyone else."

"Name one thing you like about yourself."

"I just told you, I don't like _anything_."

"That's funny, because recently I received a phone call from you, Byron. Around the witching hour. You told me all about how your abs glisten when it's pouring rain. And about how I should want to _hook up_ with you."

"I-I was drunk."

"Yes, very, very drunk. And also very unaware of the voices in your head that keep on reminding you how _worthless_ and _ugly_ you are. You see, Byron, you're not_ really_ a bad person. You've just told yourself that so many times that you actually started to believe it. And, you know what, I really don't blame you. It can be so hard to finally accept yourself, and when you do, it's like you have a whole new perspective on the world, on your_ life_."

"Well, thanks for the lovely speech there, Pam. I'll be sure to think of it while I'm burning in Hell."

"You are _not_ going to Hell, Byron!" Pam shouts furiously. "You cheated on your wife. You gave the woman you love fish Herpes that eventually ended up killing her. There is a man outside your door that desperately wants you dead and gone. No one is perfect, Byron. We all have our flaws and imperfections. These are just some of yours. You can either let your past swallow you whole, or you can suck it up and _learn from it._ That's what your life is all about. _Learning_. You learn something new every day of your life. And I learned something about you today, Byron. Do you want to know what that is?"

"Is it that I'm the one responsible for the death of Ashley Marin?"

"No. Well, okay, yes _and_ no. But I learned something about your character today, Byron. I learned that you're not just a depressed old swindler. You are a kind-hearted fellow and your immense amount of bravery showed through today. You may not be a knight in shining armor, but whenever I look at you, I see a true hero, who is destined to do great things with his life."

"Wilden is going to kill me. And you promised to help him."

"Well, I'm about to break that promise."

"What?"

"Put pressure on the damn wound, Byron," says Pam, exiting the room. Her words of wisdom float around in Byron's mind._ Someone actually thinks I'm more than a grotty old piece of trash. Someone believes that my life is actually valuable. Even if it's just Pam Fields, the woman who was completely willing to help Wilden murder me. But still, it's a start. And a start is better than nothing._


	5. Yearning Attractions

**YEARNING ATTRACTIONS:**

_"Byron! Come on, Byron!" screamed Ashley Marin as she ran on the warm, silken sand, the high temperature stinging her feet. "Catch me, Byron!"_

_He ran. He ran faster than he knew he could go. 'Pretend that you're about to lose her. Imagine, that she's about to dash right off a cliff." _

_Byron captured her in his arms, smiling at her adorable laugh. She took out her ponytail, letting her hair fall slowly down her back. _

_"You are so beautiful," he whispered, kissing her nose. Everything that he'd ever wanted with Ashley had been right there, right in that very moment. Ashley was an amazing woman, and even if she didn't believe it herself, he was going to show her how much she meant to him. _

_"I love you," she muttered, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I just don't want this to go to waste. We have something, Byron. Something that I never had with Tom, or Darren, or anyone."_

_He snuggled his face into her navy cover-up. It was so soft, just like her personality. "Even through the darkness, you are all I see, Ashley. While shaving my beard in the morning I like to marvel at the picture I have of you hanging on the wall."_

_"You have a picture of me on your wall?"_

_"Listen, that's not the point." His hands roamed her shoulders. "I'd never sacrifice what I have with you. If it meant that I had to die for us to stay together, then I would do just that."_

The memory fades as Byron sits up in his bathtub. He presses a warm washcloth to the gaping hole in his fin, hoping to minimize the bleeding. "Is this really happening?" he questions himself. He's come to the difficult realization that Ashley Marin, is indeed, _gone._ He misses everything about her. From her downy hair to her lighthearted smile, Ashley was simply a perfect human being. He misses the smell of her skin and her hand on his cheek. All he wants to ever do is wrap his arms around her and never let her go.

Byron's on the verge of death...well, was. Now that Pam Fields is supposedly going to save his life, he's not so sure this is the end. Maybe if she can sweet talk Wilden into not bashing his skull open-

A high-pitched yelp is heard from the hallway. And then

THUMP.

The door handle turns, and in walks Darren Wilden, his leather jacket stained with blood.

Pam Fields' blood. Pam Fields is dead.

"I've taken care of her for you," says Wilden, smiling cheekily. "Now, there's only one thing left to do..."

_"Wait!"_ Byron fusses. "I _love_ Ashley Marin! _I love Ashley Marin_ and killing me isn't going to change that!"

"Aw, looks like _someone_ doesn't want to die," Wilden retorts. "Now, can we get on with this?"

"You're a coward!" Byron shouts. He needs to confront Wilden. He _has_ to. _No one is in control of you, Byron. You can decide for yourself what is right._ "You have been nothing but cruel to Ashley and you don't deserve to be present in this world. When the police catch you, you'll be locked up for all of eternity. You believe that nothing bad is ever going to happen to you, but you're far from reasonable. And you will suffer for what you have done."

"Indeed, it shall," mocks Wilden.

"Go to Hell."

"You're the one who killed Ashley, not me. I'm only giving you what you deserve, Byron. No need to call me names."

"Go. To. _Hell._"

"Any last words?"

"...the last time I was ever with Ashley..." a single tear makes its way down Byron's face. "I said that I would die for her. And now, I'm doing just that...All I want is to see her again. And, Ash, honey, if you can hear me, I'm not too far away from you now. Stay strong for me, okay?"

"Oh, shut up. She can't hear you. Even if she could, she'd never bother to listen."

"You can't control me, Wilden," Byron whispers through the searing pain. "I'm ready, Darren. Take me away."


	6. Epilogue

**EPILOGUE:**

He's gone instantly.

All this time, his life seemed like a silly game he played with himself. It was nothing but tears, and darkness, and rage that he could not handle.

Byron Montgomery was the man that everyone always wanted to be around. He was a father, a lover, and an insecure human. Perfectly imperfect, as some might say. A role model to many, a friend to all.

He lost a battle with himself, and with the world.

Yet, upon his passing, there was a sense of closure in Rosewood.

**Darren Wilden** was soon arrested for murdering Byron and Pam. He was sentenced five-hundred years in prison.

**Meredith Sorensen** had other affairs to attend to during the time she was supposed to be helping Wilden. She opened her own pet shop in the city and now sells custom pet accessories and designer cat food.

**Hanna Marin** graduated high school a few years later, and married Ezra Fitz, her biological father. They had two daughters named Ashley and Byrontina.

**Ella Montgomery** died alone.

**Aria Montgomery** wrote her first successful novel about a piece of bubblegum that was stuck to someone's shoe and followed them throughout their entire life. She killed herself in her apartment four weeks later with by the use of her father's old eyeglasses.

**Melissa Hastings **was never seen again.

**Pam Fields **was resurrected as a teenage girl. (I smell a sequel!)

**Emily Fields **cried herself to sleep every night, and now, as a forty year-old woman, still does.

Everyone lived happily ever after in heavenly peace, and everyday, the citizens of Rosewood, Pennsylvania thought of Byron Montgomery, the half dog, half wolf, half fish and half chicken that changed the world forever. Byron, you will be missed, but never forgotten. You were a dynamic character that made it through the worse of your sufferings, and we will all look on into the future, and alter it according to your wishes. Byron Montgomery, you will live on through the hearts of others, and your spirit will always be with us. Rest in peace.

"Indeed, it shall."

_**THE END**_


End file.
